Thirteen Indicted For Racketeering, Reports U.S. Attorney

BOSTON, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- A second Superseding Indictment was
unsealed today charging Arthur Gianelli, his wife Mary Ann Gianelli, Philip
Puopolo, Stephen Russo, a/k/a "Moon," and nine others with racketeering and
related offenses.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Essex County District
Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Colonel Mark Delaney, Superintendent of the
Massachusetts State Police; Douglas A. Bricker, Special Agent in Charge of
the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; Glenn N.
Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives; and Kenneth W. Kaiser, Special Agent in Charge of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced the unsealing of a 520-count
Second Superseding Indictment charging thirteen individuals with
Racketeering, Money Laundering, Operating Illegal Gambling Businesses, Use
of Wire Communication Facilities, Extortion, Loansharking, Arson, and
Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering.
Named in the Second Superseding Indictment are:
1) ARTHUR GIANELLI, age 49, of 420 Main Street, Lynnfield, MA;
2) JOSEPH YERARDI, JR, age 52, of 43 Upham Street, West Newton, MA;
3) DENNIS ALBERTELLI, age 53, of 151 Hudson Road, Stow, MA;
4) SALVATORE RAMASCI A/K/A "LEFTY," age 50, of 48 Pleasant Street,
Stoneham, MA;
5) RANDY ALBERTELLI, age 27, of 151 Hudson Road, Stow, MA;
6) GISELE ALBERTELLI, age 51, of 151 Hudson Road, Stow, MA;
7) RAFIA FEGHI A/K/A RAFIA YERARDI, age 59, of 405b Dedham Street, Newton,
MA;
8) FRANK IACABONI, age 62, of 640 Union Street, Leominster, MA;
9) ENEYDA GONZALEZ RODRIGUEZ, a Venezuelan national who resides in San
Jose, Costa Rica;
10) MICHAEL PINIALIS, A/K/A "MAX," age 48, an American who resides in San
Jose, Costa Rica;
11) MARY ANN GIANELLI, age 49, 420 Main Street, Lynnfield, MA;
12) PHILIP PUOPOLO, age 50, 350 Revere Beach, Revere, MA; and
13) STEPHEN RUSSO, A/K/A "MOON," age 25 Central Avenue, Revere, MA.
Three defendants who were charged in a prior Indictment in this case --
TONY DANIELS A/K/A "SONNY," DEEB HOMSI, and TODD WESTERMAN -- previously
entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentence.
The original Indictment in this case, returned in January 2005, charged
GIANELLI, DENNIS ALBERTELLI, IACABONI and HOMSI with arson and other
offenses related to their alleged attempt to extort the owners of The
Canine Entertainment Corporation which operated The Big Dog Sports Grille
in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. Two other individuals, Sean Slater, age 47, of
10 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, New York and Michael McCormack, age 42, of 207
Crosby Street, Arlington, Massachusetts were indicted in April 2004 in
connection with the arson. McCormack pled guilty to the arson charges on
April 4, 2005. Charges against Slater are still pending.
A First Superseding Indictment, returned in April 2005, incorporated
the original charges and also alleged that GIANELLI led a racketeering
enterprise that engaged in illegal gambling activities, money laundering,
extortion, and other related criminal activities. In particular, the First
Superseding Indictment alleged that the enterprise engaged in illegal
gambling activities on behalf of convicted racketeer JOSEPH YERARDI, JR,
who had been incarcerated since 1995 and was recently released from federal
prison. It is alleged that some of the proceeds of the enterprise's illegal
activities were funneled to YERARDI while he was in prison and to YERARDI's
wife RAFIA FEGHI a/k/a RAFIA YERARDI. The First Superseding Indictment also
alleged that the defendants engaged in numerous money laundering schemes
including the investment of the enterprise's illicit proceeds in several
legitimate businesses.
One of the features of the First Superseding Indictment was the
inclusion of allegations that the enterprise used an offshore gambling
office in San Jose, Costa Rica. It was alleged that customers of the
enterprise's sports betting business were able to place bets over the
Internet and through the use of a toll-free telephone number.
Also among other charges in the First Superseding Indictment were
allegations that GIANELLI attempted to gain control of two other
Massachusetts businesses through extortion. These businesses were
McCarthy's Bar and Grille located at 903 Boylston Street in Boston, and
Clarke's Turn of the Century Saloon located in Faneuil Hall.
The Second Superseding Indictment, which was unsealed today,
incorporates all of the previous charges, and adds defendants MARY ANN
GIANELLI, PUOPOLO, RUSSO and PINIALIS. They are all charged with
racketeering, as well as other offenses.
In addition, today's Second Superseding Indictment adds the charge of
using an arson fire to commit the federal felony of extortion against
defendants ARTHUR GIANELLI, ALBERTELLI, and IACABONI. The Second
Superseding Indictment also adds loansharking charges against ARTHUR
GIANELLI and PUOPOLO, and charges MARY ANN GIANELLI with money laundering,
signing false federal income tax returns and illegally structuring cash
transactions to evade federal reporting requirements.
Defendants MARY ANN GIANELLI, PUOPOLO and RUSSO were arrested today on
the Second Superseding Indictment and were arraigned in Federal District
Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joyce London Alexander. PUOPOLO was
detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for September 27, 2006 at
2:00 p.m. MARY ANN GIANELLI and RUSSO were released today on $100,000
unsecured bonds.
If convicted, each of the defendants faces a maximum sentence of 20
years' incarceration on each of the racketeering, extortion, money
laundering, and Travel Act charges; and 5 years' incarceration on each of
the gambling and conspiracy charges. The arson charges carry a minimum
mandatory sentence of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years' incarceration. The
charge of using fire to commit extortion carries an additional 10-year
mandatory prison term that must be served consecutive to any other
sentences imposed. Additionally, each count also carries a 3-year term of
supervised release and fines up to $250,000. Furthermore, numerous assets
of the defendants are alleged to be subject to forfeiture to the United
States.
The case is being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police, the
U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation with assistance from Essex County District Attorney
Blodgett's Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being
prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred M. Wyshak, Jr. and Michael L.
Tabak in Sullivan's Organized Crime Strike Force Unit.
The details in the Second Superseding Indictment are allegations. The
defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.